DANNY MURPHY: Saka's absence gives Carsley chance to go back to basics

If you love football then you can’t help but love Bukayo Saka, no matter which team you support.

At 5ft 8in Saka isn’t the biggest figure, but he has such wonderful strength on the ball under pressure and a knack of being able to roll defenders and win free-kicks.

One of his biggest weapons is his ability to go both ways - he is just as happy to go on the outside as he is cutting inside. Left footed players who are comfortable on their right like Saka are a collector’s item and it gives his opposite number something extra thing to think about.

His discipline really impresses me too. Saka doesn’t get tempted to go searching for the ball if he goes through a quiet period of the game when he is starved of service.

He ignores the urge to drop into midfield or wander into the Number 10 role to get on the ball and sticks to his position. He knows he is at his most dangerous out on the flanks and his incredible numbers in front of goal vindicates that mindset. Saka is so reliable with his final product and his numbers when it comes to goals and assists are always right up there with the best.

Watching him limp off the Wembley pitchwhile holding the back of his leg on Thursday night was a shame, but I’d be more worried if I were Mikel Arteta and Arsenal than Lee Carsley and England.

It has been well-documented how Carsley is blessed with terrific options across the forward line. It’s slightly trickier for Arsenal to fill that void, although I think Gabriel Jesus could be an ideal stop-gap given some of his best performances in a Manchester City shirt came out on the right.

When it comes to England, Phil Foden or Cole Palmer would be more than capable of deputising in Saka’s position on the right against Finland. Both have played with distinction in that position for their clubs.

Sunday is about going back to basics for England. What Carsley did on Thursday, by playing players in positions they are unfamiliar with, was a huge risk and one that ultimately backfired.

A lot of people had been crying out for both he and Gareth Southgate to get Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Saka in the same team but it just didn’t work. Instead, Carsley needs to refer back to the blue print he used in his first two games in charge. 

Against Ireland, a left footer played left back, two midfielders played in midfield, a number 10 played as a ten and a striker played as a striker. As ridiculous as that sounds, that gives you balance and that’s why I expect Carsley to go back to what he knows against the Finns. If that means upsetting one or two superstars because he can’t fit them all in the team then so be it - that’s just the way it has to be.

We shouldn’t come down too hard on Carsley for being bold against Greece. He is in the infancy of his managerial career and sometimes you only know if something is going to work when you try it. But what you can criticise him for is not changing things at half-time when it was clear England were in trouble.

I don’t think Carsley helped himself post-match either, ending up in a cul-de-sac with comments about going back to managing Under-21 side. It can be difficult to face the media after a defeat but England fans are waiting to be convinced and those comments create doubt in people’s mind over whether he is the right man for the job.

Sunday is a great opportunity for England and Carsley to bounce back quickly. That’s a luxury you aren’t always afforded in international football, where you can sometimes go months between matches. An performance full of energy with England’s creative stars getting on the ball, running the show and scoring goals would be a good way to put the Greece nightmare to bed.